This invention relates to polysiloxanes and more particularly polynitrosiloxanes. The invention also relates to explosives and the use of polysiloxanes as explosives. The invention also relates to methods of preparation of polynitrosiloxanes.
Nitropolysiloxanes have shown promise as explosives and propellants. They combine the useful properties of polysiloxanes and the explosive activity of nitro compounds.
Prior attempts to form nitrated polysiloxanes have met with varying degrees of success. U.S. Pat. No. 2,756,246 describes a method of producing nitrooximes by reacting nitrogen dioxide with unsaturated siloxanes. This method does not produce the dinitro compounds. The dinitro compounds have a better oxygen balance and are more satisfactory explosives.
Organosiloxane nitrates have been produced according to the teaching in U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,319 by reacting trichloronitrate siloxanes with water and polymerizing the product of the reaction. This method appears unsuitable for the production of dinitrosiloxanes.
The synthesis of (3-fluoro-3,3-dinitropropyl)methylpolysiloxanes and bis(3-fluoro-3,3-dinitropropyl)polysiloxane by the stepways introduction of nitro groups and fluorines by displacement reactions, oxidative nitrations and fluorinations is known. This method however has proven unsatisfactory for the production of internal gem dinitro groups.